Rockies manager Clint Hurdle
As much as the Rockies have carved a new identity as a franchise, manager Clint Hurdle has reshaped himself as a manager. Before he entered his sixth season, he made dramatic, if not necessary, changes after quiet grousing from players.
Hurdle turned the clubhouse over to his players, giving freedom without fear of an iron fist. He also stopped bouncing the baseball in the dugout, a sign of stress that drove players nuts. And more than anything, he stopped bunting.
After leading the world in sacrifice bunts for three consecutive seasons, Hurdle relied on Willy Taveras and Kazuo Matsui to steal bases. On the road, Hurdle’s touch with his offense will be critical.
Can he pull off a hit-and-run at the right time and play small ball? Hurdle has a deeper bench this round with 14 position players, which gives him more matchup options in late innings.
Hurdle’s use of the bullpen was scrutinized more than any other area through May, but that has become a nonissue with Brian Fuentes and Manny Corpas shortening games to seven innings. The key for Hurdle is not to overmanage.
Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin
Ask around baseball, and many folks believe Bob Melvin is the National League manager of the year, ahead of Hurdle and Chicago’s Lou Piniella. Melvin receives high marks for his ability to maximize a strikeout-vulnerable offense.
The Diamondbacks were outscored by 20 runs this season, but found a way to win the division. That speaks to their ability to get the clutch hit. The young players feel comfortable in these situations because they receive no pressure from Melvin. As big-league managers go, he’s as low-key as they get.
Melvin, like Hurdle, has a deep bench. He has platoons in right field and catcher and a huge weapon in left-handed slugger Tony Clark. Melvin, like Hurdle, becomes smarter in the later innings because of a terrific bullpen. It’s not so much who he uses, but when. He is creative in the seventh, with Juan Cruz and Tony Peña, leaving the eighth inning to Brandon Lyon and Jose Valverde.
Where Melvin could make a difference is the running game: The Diamondbacks are expected to challenge catcher Yorvit Torrealba’s arm and the slow times to the plate of Jeff Francis and Ubaldo Jimenez. Remember, this is a team that was 32-20 in one-run games, so it knows how to play just well enough to win.
